People with disabilities can, of course, be your most productive workers. But just one word or phrase could make them feel excluded. This bias against people with disabilities is also called ableism. One type/example of ableism in job descriptions is the words we use to describe physical demands. If a candidate has a physical disability,… Read more »
Posts by Rob Kelly
Creating a New Company Career Site: The Definitive Guide
It’s no secret that your company career site is one of the most important elements of your recruiting strategy. In fact, it’s a culmination of many initiatives: candidate experience, employer branding, recruitment marketing, diversity and inclusion. Bottom line? If you want to attract, engage and convert more candidates, optimizing your company career site is a… Read more »
5 Things to Look for in a Gender Neutral Writing Tool
Gender bias is a hot topic! There is an absolute movement right now to attract more women in the workplace. Check out these 3 recent news stories: California became the first state to require that public companies have at least 1 woman on their board of directors Catalyst (the non-profit) launched #BiasCorrect as a gender… Read more »
3 Job Ads That Might Have Age Discrimination
In February, I wrote about 6 ways to avoid age bias in your job descriptions. Apparently not everyone got the memo. Just a cursory look at job boards finds numerous examples of age bias are still out there. I hate to be a buzzkill but these oversights can get you fired or sued. Note: Most… Read more »
What’s The Difference Between a Job Description, Job Posting and Job Ad?
We’ve had some people ask about the difference between job descriptions, job postings and job ads. It’s a valid question since these terms are often used interchangeably. Here’s some clarity based on the many years my team and I have spent automating our job description software. What is a Job Description? The phrase “job description:… Read more »
20+ of My Favorite Articles About Writing Job Descriptions [that aren’t mine!]
I’ve written what I hope you find useful content on job descriptions (see job description articles, job ad articles and our free Job Descriptions Guide. But there are so many awesome articles out there written by others. And I love giving shout-outs where they’re due. Here are my favorite articles on job descriptions, job postings and job ads. 20+… Read more »
10 of the Best Job Descriptions in 2019
If you look at the best job descriptions (below) you’ll notice a pattern. Most have: Multi-Column Format — Easier to read. That’s why most magazines and newspapers use them! Good Employer Branding — Consistent color, font and perhaps even corporate messaging (especially helpful if a candidate comes from a job board and hasn’t seen the… Read more »
8 Key Steps of a Job Description Text Analyzer
Are you shopping for job description text analysis software? Some recruiting leaders want this augmented writing tool because of the ROI they enable on hiring quality/diverse applicants (e.g. one client boosted their applicant to phone screen conversion from 5% to 17%; another saw a 4X increase in diversity and inclusion hiring). If you are looking,… Read more »
6 Ways to Avoid Age Bias in Your Job Descriptions
U.S. Employers paid $240 million in age bias lawsuits since 2000, according to a survey by GoodJobsFirst.org. Note: Most age discrimination lawsuits relate to The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) which forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older. It does not protect workers under the age of 40, although some states… Read more »
3 Types of Job Description Software (and Why Each Matters)
In my view, there are 3 major types of job description software now available. And each has its own purpose. Here they are: 1) Candidate Experience Job Description Software Some clients of applicant tracking systems are not satisfied with the ATS job pages. It might be because: The URL shown is that of the… Read more »
10 Easy Ways to Boost a Job Ad’s Apply Rate
The apply rate for job ads is one of the most important recruitment metrics. An average of 11 people who visit your job ad end up applying. 11% convert and the rest of the 89% leave. But I’ve seen the apply rate pop up to 60%+ with the right tweaks (see below). Note: Special thanks to… Read more »
5 Examples of Greenhouse ATS Job Page Overlays
If you’re a customer of the awesome Greenhouse Software ATS, you may be looking for ways to enhance your job pages. Remember what James Ellis of The Talent Cast said about ATS’s: “Applicant tracking systems were never meant to be pretty (external), they were meant to help manage workflows (internal)”. A default, out-of-the-box Greenhouse job page might… Read more »
New Study Shows Gender Bias Against Women for “Brainy” Jobs
Women are less likely seen as good candidates if the job mentions a high degree of intellectual ability, according to a new study. In 3 tests, published in the journal American Psychologist, more than 1,150 participants were asked to refer individuals for a job. Half of the participants were told that the job description required… Read more »
5 Examples of “Complex Words” That Hurt Your Job Ads
Every word in your job ad counts. But your job postings often have complex words or phrases you don’t need — they sound more like legalese than a job advertisement. Replace or cut these complex words/phrases and your job ad’s apply rate can see a major boost. You’ll also often see an increase in good candidates…. Read more »
5 Reasons to Use a Text Analyzer for All Your Job Descriptions
If you are hiring more than 50 people per year, you can benefit in a big way from using Ongig’s Text Analyzer for your job descriptions. Let me give you 5 examples: 1) To See How Your Job Descriptions Compare to Peers A good text analyzer compares your job descriptions to the industry on things… Read more »